Chapter 4

I almost burst out laughing.

He was the one who cheated, yet he had the audacity to expect me to clean up his mess. Now, he was even trying to pin the blame on me?!

How absurd!

“Then let’s get a divorce.”

The moment those words left my mouth, the room plunged into a heavy silence. It was so quiet and still like time had frozen.

Even the homeroom teacher''s coughing ceased. Rachel snapped her head up to look at me, unable to hide the surprise and joy in her eyes.

And Lucas? His expression shifted from anger to shock, and then to unmistakable panic.

After a brief pause, he stood up and stepped closer, raising his hand to comfort me, just like he always did.

I frowned in disgust, and he awkwardly lowered his hand. A trace of unease flickered across his face as he hurriedly explained, “I…I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I was just…”

I cut him off. “It’s fine.”

He was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly asked, “Really?”

I nodded calmly. “Really.”

Honestly, there was no need for him to be this nervous.

If this had happened before, I might have been furious. I might have been heartbroken. Now? I just did not care anymore.

Cheating? Having a child with someone else? It did not matter to me at all.

We were done.

Lucas let out a sigh of relief, but then his expression hardened again. “Divorce isn’t something you should say so casually. Saying it too often hurts the relationship.”

I simply nodded again.

I only gave him one chance.

Since Lucas chose not to take it, all that awaited him now was a lawsuit.

When that happened, he would not just be looking at divorce. He might end up with nothing, maybe even facing prison time.

“All right, Rachel is pregnant, and the teacher’s health is improving. These are things we should be happy about.”

Lucas helped Rachel settle onto the couch and even thoughtfully placed a cushion behind her back.

“You wanted to hold the family gathering, right? I’m free tomorrow, so let’s do it then!”

He said it so naturally, as though it were entirely up to him. It was as if this decision, which involved me, did not require my input at all.

It was just like on our wedding night, when he decided to have a child with Rachel and told me to postpone the already-planned banquet.

The teacher''s eyes showed a cold glint, but her smile stayed warm. "Rachel and I will join too."

“Now that Rachel is pregnant with Lucas’s child, we’re all family, aren’t we? Of course, we should be part of such an important event!”

Lucas''s and Rachel’s eyes met and shared a look filled with deep affection. “Naomi, go ahead and make the arrangements. With the teacher and Rachel there, it’ll be even more dignified.”

A sense of absurdity suddenly washed over me.

It felt like I had been thrown back centuries, straight into the feudal era.

Lucas could take as many wives and mistresses as he wanted without a care in the world, while Rachel and the teacher were so desperate to be part of his family that they willingly lowered themselves, going out of their way to please him.

“No need.”

I smiled faintly. “The banquet is already over.”

Lucas’s face twisted in shock. “Over?!”

He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. “Didn’t I tell you to postpone it?”

I yanked my hand free and sneered. “Postpone? Do you think you’re some kind of king, expecting everyone to obey your every word?”

“The banquet was planned long ago. All our relatives and friends were invited. And just because you said to postpone it, everyone has to rearrange their plans for you?”

The teacher could not hold back any longer and interjected, “Outdated traditions like this should’ve been done away with long ago. It was just a simple postponement. What’s the big deal?”

“Besides, Lucas was going through IVF, creating a new life. Compared to that, the old custom isn''t a big deal!"

“Naomi, have all the lessons I taught you over the years gone to waste?”

Rachel chimed in as well. “Exactly, Naomi. You’re being unreasonable. Are you doing this just to embarrass Lucas on purpose?”

My expression stayed neutral, and my heart remained unaffected.

Outdated custom? Creating life?

They really had a way of twisting reality.

Turning a family gathering into some outdated custom while glorifying infidelity as the creation of life?

Lucas let out a sigh.

Just as he was about to speak, the doorbell rang.

Standing outside were court staff.

“Lucas Shaw, you’ve been served with divorce papers. Please sign here.”